An Unexpected Interruption
by SparkELee
Summary: When her family is torn apart by divorce, Rachel is left to pick up the pieces. Will she allow a man from her past to help her? I liked the storyline of Chapter 2 of Love Looking for Words so I'm turning it into a stand alone multi-chapter story!
1. The End of the Beginning

A/N: This is based off Chapter 2 of Love Looking For Words. I liked the plot so much that I figured I'd see how it plays out as a story all on its own.

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 1: The End of the Beginning

_Life is a series of interruptions, a series of unexpected, sometimes unpleasant, interruptions_.

"Noah, I can't. I'm sorry but I can't. I've tried to forgive you, I've tried to move on. But it's not working, I can't sit here, day after day and pretend like you didn't cheat on me with that whore." Rachel stated, her tone flat and void of emotion.

Noah leaned forward in his chair, his head in his hands.

"Rachel, it's been almost a year. I've done every single thing you've asked. I've cut back my hours at work, I spend more time here, I stopped going to the bars, I went through hours of fucking counseling. I don't know what the fuck else you want."

She pushed herself off the counter and strode to the oak desk in the corner. She grabbed a manila folder of papers.

"I want you to sign these." She replied tightly, her eyes flashing dangerously.

He didn't need to open the envelope to know what was inside.

She was asking for a divorce.

"So there's nothing else huh? You're just… You're just done? It's just over for you?? We've been together for 13 years Rachel! You're throwing that all away now? Just like that?!?" He asked incredulously.

"Not just like that. For god's sake Noah! You're acting like we haven't been dealing with this for almost a year. We tried everything. It's over. I've accepted that. I suggest you do the same." Her words were cold and her 'shoot to kill' method of chastising him never failed to hit its mark.

"Fuck Rachel. I made a mistake. People make those, well most people anyways. Maybe not you, but the rest of us are human, and we fuck up from time to time." He reminded her, his tone low and frustrated.

"Well, obviously I've made mistakes Noah." She shot back, arching an eyebrow at him.

He got it. He got what she was saying.

"That's great Rach. Real fucking great. So glad you think the last 13 years have been a mistake. Makes me feel real fucking important."

"Your feelings?! You're actually asking me to consider your feelings?! Tell me Noah, tell me why I should! You certainly didn't consider mine! Or your daughter's! I'm SO sorry I didn't stop to think about your feelings when I filed for divorce because YOU cheated!" She yelled, her voice bouncing off the walls.

Her face was flushed, her eyes were narrowed, she was practically spitting hate.

This wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to sign away his family. And he told her that.

"Guess you should have thought about that before you fucked a 19 year old." She bit out before stalking out of the room.

He pushed the papers back from him. He didn't want anything to do with them, not now, not ever.

A moment later he rose from the chair, grabbed his jacket and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" She stopped him just as he pulled the door open.

"To clear my head."

"Did you sign?"

"No."

"Noah, this isn't a joke, those-"

"Rachel, I know it's not a joke. I'm well fucking aware of that. I just need a little fucking air before I sign away the two most important people in my life!" He exclaimed before he yanked the door closed behind him.

She stood there and listened to his footsteps disappear down the stairs of their apartment building.

It was only then, when she was sure he was gone, that she allowed the tears that had pooled in her brown eyes to spill over onto her cheeks.

FIRST CHAPTER COMPLETE.

A/N: Next chapter will be a very similar version to Chapter 2 of Love Looking for Words. I may have to alter it slightly, haven't decided yet, but Jesse will appear in that chapter.


	2. 2nd Generation St James

A/N: This chapter picks up two years after the previous chapter.

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 2: 2nd Generation St. James

Rachel heard the front door open and close and glanced up from her desk.

"Hey Liv. How was school?"

Olivia rolled her bright green eyes. "Totally lame, but you know, it's whatever." Liv replied uninterested as she headed off to her bedroom.

"Homework?" She called after her daughter.

"Later." Was the short reply.

Rachel smiled ruefully. She was most definitely her father's daughter.

The man in question came strolling through the door as if on cue.

"Hello Noah." She greeted her ex-husband.

He offered her a small half smile and a nod.

"Hey Rach. She ready to go?"

"I'll get her."

Rachel stood and made her way to Olivia's room. She knocked gently before pushing the door open.

"Liv, dad's here for you." She told her daughter.

The 15 year old glanced up from her sprawled out position on her bed.

"Not going." She informed her mother as she started to connect her iPod to her earbuds.

"Olivia. We've talked about this." Rachel used her warning tone as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"He cheated on us." Liv shot back, her green eyes flashing in the same way her father's did when he was upset.

Rachel smiled sadly at her daughter.

_If only she knew just how much she reminds me of him._

"Sweetheart, he cheated on me, not you. And while we aren't together anymore, I think that-"

"OK OK mom, I get it. I don't need a speech." Olivia exclaimed at her mother, her tone clearly exasperated.

_Yep, just like him._

Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically and stood. She snatched her overnight bag from her closet and began throwing her clothes for the week into it.

Finished, she turned to her mother. "I'll see you Friday baby." Rachel muttered as she gave her daughter a quick hug.

FRIDAY

Rachel heard her daughter's hurried footsteps before she appeared.

Olivia burst through the door, her cell phone glued to her ear as she spoke excitedly, barely acknowledging her mother as she flew past.

"I know! I can't believe it! He's 17 too! I never thought he'd ask me out! I'm not sure what I'm gonna wear yet but I'm going to look now!" She prattled on as she hurried to her room.

Rachel stared after her daughter, her eyes a bit wet at the recognition that her daughter was no longer a baby.

"My baby's growing up." She muttered to herself as she stood and followed her daughter back to her room.

Olivia was off the phone and digging through her closet.

"Liv? Want to tell me what that was all about?" Rachel asked as she stepped into the room.

"Mom! Hi! So I'm going out tonight, on a date, with a boy! His name's Justin and he's gorgeous and he's 17 and he likes me! We're going out for dinner and then he's taking me to a play in Central Park." Liv fired back without taking her eyes off her wardrobe.

Rachel hid her smile as she gazed at her daughter. "First date's a big deal. What do you know about this boy?" She questioned, slipping into 'mom mode'.

"Only, like, everything. He's popular, smart, super hot, pretty nice. I mean, he's great, a little vain I guess, but whatever. The point is, he asked me out!" Olivia explained, her eyes rolling at her mother's concern.

"Well, is he picking you up here?" She asked at last.

Olivia nodded. "Actually, his dad is dropping him off, then we're gonna walk to dinner and then the Park." She explained.

"Good, well I'd like to meet him." Rachel replied and turned to leave her daughter in peace.

"Mom?" 

"Liv?"

"Can we um…. Can we not tell dad just yet?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and nodded. "You got it." They both knew all too well how horribly Noah would handle this situation.

Three hours later the doorbell rang. Olivia screeched and ran down the hall.

Rachel halted her with her hand. "I'll get it. I'd like to meet the young man." She informed her daughter firmly.

Liv took a deep breath and nodded. Rachel smiled and swung open the door and smiled widely at the boy in front of her.

"Hi. I'm Justin St. James. You must be Olivia's mother." The young man greeted as he offered her his hand.

Her eyes widened as she took his hand. "H-Hi Justin. Come on in, Liv's in the living room." She told him as she stepped back to allow him entrance, still stunned at the identity of the boy.

The two teenagers conversed about their plans while Rachel stepped away to compose herself.

She hadn't seen or thought of Jesse in years. His high school stunt had burned her and she'd done everything she could to remove him from her thoughts.

And now he was back, and his son was taking her daughter out on a date.

And now her fingers were trembling. Olivia mentioned his father was dropping him off. Was he still there? Did he know his son was taking her daughter out?

She briefly considered calling Noah and having him deal with it. They may be divorced but he would most definitely not like their former rival dating their daughter.

"Can't do that to her." She murmured as she splashed cool water on her face before re-joining the kids in the living room.

_Maybe it's not him. Maybe it's just a total coincidence. St. James might be a popular last name in New York._

She nearly had herself convinced and had just reappeared when the doorbell rang again.

She furrowed her brow as she made her way to the door.

Rachel opened the door and the greeting died in her throat.

"Hi, I'm Jes- Rachel?" He cut himself off as recognition dawned on him instantly.

"Jesse." She croaked out, her eyes nearly bugging out of head.

"Dad?" Justin appeared next to Rachel at the door, oblivious to the obvious tension between the two adults.

Jesse's head snapped in the direction of his son. "Left your wallet in the car." Jesse told him as he handed his son his wallet, his eyes never leaving Rache's face.

Rachel had opened and closed her mouth no less than 4 times. "We're going to get going mom." Olivia said, drawing her mother out of her thick trance. She shook her head slightly and realized Jesse had retreated back several feet and was almost to the stairs.

Despite the awkward situation, Rachel smiled softly at her daughter. "Have a great time baby." She told her as the kids stepped out.

She closed the door behind them and allowed her body to sink back against it as she expelled a giant sigh.

A knock startled her out her relief filled sigh.

She turned and peeked out the peephole. Jesse.

She sighed and opened the door.

"Hi."

"Hello Jesse." She replied stoically, her eyes narrowed and her tone cool.

"So that was awkward." He joked lamely.

She nodded, unable to speak because she was fairly certain he could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

"Listen Rachel… I just… I wanted you to know that I didn't know Olivia was your daughter. Her last name never rang a bell and all I guess I didn't put two and two together. Puckerman, that was the guy with the mohawk, Nate, right?"

"Noah." She correctly tightly, not bothering to move from the entrance, preventing him from coming in.

"Right, sorry, so you guys are married now huh?" He asked, his attempt to be kind was genuine but awkward nonetheless.

"Were married. We've been divorced for two years." She corrected as she watched him, her gaze clearly indicated she was uneasy about the entire conversation.

He eyed her critically. "Rachel, you know we aren't in high school anymore. I'm not that guy anymore. You can't still be mad about something that happened twenty years ago." He suggested, his tone neutral and void of the cocky undertone he'd carried in high school.

"Certainly I'm not mad at you anymore, however, that doesn't mean I've got much to say to you. I'm going to be honest with you. The idea of my daughter dating your son… Well, as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She told him cooly.

To his credit, he was genuinely hurt by her words.

"Rachel, I apologized. Profusely." He reminded her quietly as he took a step closer.

She remained firm at the door; she wasn't going to be intimidated.

"I'm aware, I was there." Was her curt response.

"My son is a good kid. He really likes Olivia. She's all he talks about. He has good intentions."

"I really liked you. I had good intentions. You, you were the one who used me, you were the one with the hidden agenda." She shot back, her voice lower now.

"I know. And I told you a hundred times I really liked you. You never believed me."

"Jesse, we aren't doing this. Not now, not ever."

His face pleaded with her. "Look, you know I've always been a believer in fate. You might not be, but I am. The world wanted us to meet again." He told her, his voice an octave higher as he tried to convince her this meeting was written in the stars.

She rolled her eyes. "I see you've not toned down the drama."

"Broadway'll do that to a guy." He replied ruefully.

"Yeah, well, that's great for you. I've got some things to attend to, so…" She trailed off.

He nodded. "It was nice to see you Rachel."

"Bye Jesse." She replied quietly.

The door was nearly shut when his foot stopped it.

"For what it's worth, not that you'll believe me, but I loved you. I loved you as much as a 17 year old kid can love a girl. It killed me to do what I did, I'm still not proud of my actions, I can't even bring myself to tell my son what I did. I was and still am, very sorry."

She listened to his words through the door.

"I'm not… I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm not asking you out, I'm not coming onto you, I just… I'd just like you to give Justin a chance. He didn't do what I did. He's better than me. And since it seems like we'll be seeing a lot of each other, maybe we could be civil, at the very least."

She bowed her head at his words. Olivia would kill her if she did anything to run off this boy. Rachel was pretty sure re-starting an old feud would do just that.

"OK."

Her fingers were still curled around the door. A moment later, she felt his fingers over hers.

"Goodnight Jesse." She whispered softly.

"Goodnight Rachel. I look forward to seeing you soon." He replied, his hand squeezing hers before retreating down the stairs.

Rachel shut the door and quietly slid down the cool wood before plopping down on soft carpet.

A/N: There's chapter 2. And perhaps I need to clarify. This is a Jesse/Rachel story. The previous chapter was just a lead in, I felt like I needed to have at least one chapter in before we got to this one. Yes, Puck will appear from time to time but this story does not center around him. Hope that clears everything up for you glee1fan.


	3. Caught!

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 3: Caught!

Rachel was right in the middle of gathering her things before heading off to the theater when her daughter came barging into her mother's room.

She smiled and brushed her shoulder length hair from her face. "Something I can help you with Liv?"

Olivia flopped down on her mother's bed and turned her gaze towards the ceiling.

"Can you drop me off at Justin's before you head to the theater? I could take the subway, but I mean, he lives all the way out in Brooklyn and I know you hate me going so far away by myself and this way you could take me and pick me up. Don't worry, we won't be by ourselves, Justin's dad'll be there." She finished, blinking those big green eyes up at her mother.

Rachel blew a strand of hair from her eyes as she sighed, clearly exasperated. Olivia played this card many times, and most of those times, it worked.

"Olivia, I hate when you pull this. You know I have to be at the theater in less than two hours and with traffic…. Fine, just… Just go get your stuff and be ready to go in 5 minutes."

Olivia beamed at her mother before hurrying off to her room to collect her jacket and her purse.

Rachel sighed heavily before slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading towards the door.

Her daughter was standing at the door, tapping her foot impatiently.

"C'mon let's get going, traffic's going to be miserable." She ushered her daughter out the door and down to their designated parking spot in the garage.

Rachel hated driving in the city, for obvious reasons. People constantly asked her why she bothered with a car in New York.

And truth be told, there were some days where she wondered that herself. But she enjoyed the freedom having a car gave her. She enjoyed being able to hop in her car and just drive.

Granted, she didn't drive every day, even she wasn't that ridiculous, but she did appreciate the freedom that came with having her own vehicle.

Rachel beeped the unlock button on her keyless entry and the two of them climbed into her modest Saab and started towards Brooklyn.

She glanced over at her daughter. "So things with you and Justin are going well?" She questioned lightly. She knew Olivia disliked being heavily questioned about her love life, or well, her life in general.

"Yeah, I like him a lot. It feels like I've known him forever." Liv replied dreamily.

_Of course she likes him. He's Jesse's son, the charm is practically hard-wired into the boy._

Rachel raised her eyebrows at her daughter's words. Olivia was a pretty tough cookie most of the time, her outer shell was pretty thick, a trait she'd obviously inherited from her father. She certainly was not prone to swooning like she was at the moment. No, Liv was tough as nails about most things and a total pro at keeping her emotions in check.

"You've only been dating him a month Liv." Her mother reminded her gently, her voice full of hesitance.

Olivia turned her vibrant green eyes on her mother and Rachel waited for the explosion.

"Mom. You met dad in high school. You were 16. You fell in love with him." Olivia pointed out matter of factly.

_Oh Liv, there's just so much you don't know…._

"Sweetheart, we've gone over this many times. Your dad and I were a totally different story. It was very different, I'm just suggesting that maybe you should take it slow with Justin." Rachel explained calmly.

Olivia's response was nothing but a heavy sigh. She knew there were things her mother wasn't telling her. Things about her and dad's past. She'd asked in the past and they'd brushed her off and told her she was too young for those conversations.

"Mom, it's different with us. He really likes me and I feel the same way. Nothing else matters."

Rachel smiled softly to herself.

_If only that were true._

So badly Rachel wanted to hold her daughter close and whisper all the secrets of being a teenager and how to make it out alive, but she couldn't do that, she knew all too well those lessons were lessons to be learned through experience not through conversation.

A short time later she slowed to a stop in front of a modest brownstone. She frowned slightly. She'd been expecting something a touch more lavish. Her googling (yes, she'd given into her curiosities and googled the man) had led her to believe Jesse was doing quite well for himself. This certainly didn't look like the home of a successful Broadway actor-turned theater producer.

"Pick me up when you're done?" Olivia asked/reminded her mother, her voice snapping Rachel out of her confusion filled haze.

Rachel groaned. The girl certainly knew how to fly by the seat of her pants.

"I suppose so. Have a nice time." She called as her daughter slid out of the car and hurried up the front steps.

Rachel watched her daughter disappear into the house and shut the door before pulling away.

Five hours later, she was back in her street clothes and her face was scrubbed free of makeup. Her Blackberry was pressed to her ear as she called her daughter's cell phone for the 10th time. She hadn't answered even once.

Finally, after another five minutes of calling, she accepted the inevitable. She was going to have to knock on Jesse St. James' front door.

She grabbed her purse and keys, locked the car and headed up the front steps.

Just as she rose her hand to knock, the door swung open to reveal the very man she was desperately hoping to avoid.

"Oh! H-Hi Jesse." She greeted, her voice stumbling a bit over the simple greeting.

He gave her a small but genuine smile. "Hey Rachel. I saw your car just as I heard Olivia's phone go off for about the seventh time. Come on in. They fell asleep on the couch watching movies. I suppose she didn't hear it."

Rachel visibly tensed next to him.

Without thinking, he laid a hand on her arm, his intentions to comfort her did not go unnoticed.

"It's entirely innocent, I assure you. I checked on them frequently through the evening, there was absolutely nothing going on." He comforted as he pushed open the door of the den.

"AHHHH!" Olivia screeched as she yanked a blanket up to cover her obviously naked upper half.

Justin was clad only in his boxers and was scrambling for his pants.

Rachel's face paled, her eyes widened and her lips pursed into a small "O" She attempted, several times, to form words but all she could do was sputter.

Jesse's eyes narrowed at the young couple, his expression stony and his face red with anger.

"I suggest the two of you get dressed and meet us in the kitchen in 5 minutes." He informed them both, his voice hard and cool.

With that he moved back towards the door. Rachel was still rooted to her spot, unable to remember how exactly to put one foot in front of the other.

He sighed and grabbed her by the arm, practically dragging her out of the room.

Jesse pulled her into a small room off the kitchen. Rachel pulled herself together and gained her bearings just as he stepped behind a small bar.

"I need a drink, and I'm guessing you could use one too. Poison?"

"Gin and Tonic."

Two minutes later he slid a highball glass filled with the pungent liquor across the dark oak bar.

Her fingers slid around the cool crystal and she quickly downed the drink in one gulp.

He mimicked her actions with his scotch. A moment later, he collected their glasses and deposited them in the sink.

"Rachel, I am so sorry. I watched them all night. I swear I did. The last I saw, they were sleeping. Justin knows how I feel about this sort of thing, and he's normally very well behaved. I'll definitely be dealing with him this evening."

She smiled dryly at him. "You THOUGHT they were sleeping. They weren't. She's her father's daughter. I guarantee you they were faking it. I'm sure they heard you coming each and every time. And I highly doubt ANY of this was your son's idea. All of this, reeks of Olivia." Rachel replied, her voice full of defeat.

"That may be, but I doubt she forced him into it." Jesse reminded her in hopes of easing some of the blame off her and her daughter.

"She's a very persuasive, sneaky little teenager. It's only gotten worse since the divorce." She sighed out as she stood.

"Guess we better go deal with the horny teenagers." He suggested, a small smile on his face as he glanced over at her, hoping to see the same.

Her lips twitched upwards just moments before they walked back into the kitchen where their children sat, red faced and embarrassed.

"Well, I would like to say that I'm shocked Olivia, but forgive me, I just don't feel like lying right now. This behavior is so beyond unacceptable there's not even a word for it. I think it goes without saying that the days of unsupervised visits are OVER. Furthermore, you are grounded until Hanukah. And I will be informing your father of this little incident."

"MOM!"

"No, NO Olivia. You are FIFTEEN. You are FIFTEEN and far too young to be having sex! Don't you get that? This is NOT OK! You don't know the first thing about being responsible and you're not even close to being prepared for the possible consequences. I am so unbelievably disappointed in you. Gather your things and meet me in the car."

Olivia's eyes turned the same stormy green her father's did when he was angry. She opened her mouth to argue but her mother stopped her.

Jesse watched as Rachel's eyes narrowed and her expression hardened. "If you ever want to see Justin again you will shut your mouth and do as you're told."

The younger girl's mouth dropped open. She was at a loss. She met her mother's eyes, her gaze pleading with her. "Go."

The final word said, Olivia turned and ran off to collect her things.

"Ms. Berry, listen, I'm so sorry. This was all my idea and I should have been more-"

Rachel turned her skeptical gaze upon the young boy. "Really expect me to believe that Justin? I may not know you all that well, but I definitely know my daughter and this is very much something she would do. It's very gallant of you to attempt to take the fall though." She told him, her voice even and neutral.

"I suggest you head up to your room, we'll talk after I escort Rachel out." Jesse told his son.

"May I say goodbye to Olivia?" The young man asked timidly.

"Not if you want to see her before you graduate." Jesse bit out.

The boy turned and trudged up the stairs, not another word was heard from his mouth.

Jesse turned back to Rachel.

Her face was tinged pink and her chest was slightly heaving. Her dark chocolate eyes swirled and darkened.

Now was definitely not the time to tell her, but Angry Rachel now was just as hot, if not hotter, than the teenaged version of Angry Rachel.

"C'mon, I'll walk you out." He said as he took her elbow and led her to the door.

She just nodded and allowed him to show her back to the front door.

He saw an opening, a tiny opening, a space just big enough to make it worth his while. It was his opportunity to show her he'd righted himself, that he was a good man and a good father, despite the present situation.

Jesse took a deep breath. "You know, we probably need to talk about this little fiasco when all the frustration dies down. We need to figure out a plan of attack. The way I see it, they've tried it once…."

"They'll try it again. Yeah, you've got a point. I'll talk to Noah and we'll set up a time to get together. Will you be alerting Justin's mother about the situation?" She queried as they came to the front door.

Jesse's eyes fell to the floor and he rocked back onto his heels. "Justin's mother died 17 years ago, complications with childbirth." He replied softly.

Rachel's face flushed red with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know." She fumbled out softly.

"No one does. When anyone inquires on her, I simply tell people she's not in our lives. It's a little easier that way." He informed her, his voice quiet and low.

She felt a gentle tug on her heartstrings at his words.

She reached a hand out and rested it lightly on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry for your loss. And I hate to have to cut this short-"

"Not another word. I totally understand. I have one of my own to deal with upstairs."

She stepped out into the cool night air and turned to face him. 

"I'll call you next week." She promised, offering him a small grin.

He gave her one right back.

"I'll talk to you soon."

A/N: So not a hugely romantic chapter but hey, gotta set the story up somehow huh?


	4. Composure in Crisis

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 4: Composure in Crisis

Rachel was waiting patiently in her study for her ex-husband to arrive. She'd already downed two glasses of her preferred red wine in anticipation of what would surely be his disastrous response.

In short, this news was most definitely not going to be music to Noah Puckerman's ears.

Not to mention the sit down that Jesse had suggested the three of them have.

_That's going to be even worse. He holds such awful grudges and finding out his daughter has taken up with Jesse's son and now Jesse wants us all to sit and talk…_

"Rachel."

Her name on the lips of her ex-husband broke her from her reverie.

She turned and focused her gaze on him. His lean figure fit perfectly against the door frame he was leaning on. His dark charcoal suit and crisp black oxford suited him well. He'd obviously come straight from work.

Rachel stood and smoothed a hand down her knee length skirt, a subconscious nervous tick she'd carried over from her high school days.

Noah smiled wryly at her actions. She was an easy read if you knew her well enough.

"You said it was urgent. What's going on?" He questioned as he stepped into the room, eyeing his ex-wife carefully.

Rachel struggled to remain cool and collected under her husband's notoriously disconcerting gaze.

"You might want to sit down for this one." She suggested at last as she gestured towards the loveseat she'd been previously occupying.

He obliged her and sat. Since the divorce, Rachel had given him space, monumental amounts of it, in fact. She'd only called him when it was absolutely necessary, so clearly, whatever this was about, it was a big deal.

She moved to the heavy mahogany bar off to the side and quickly poured herself another glass of wine and mixed a gin and tonic for him.

"You're going to need this." She told him as she handed him the drink and sat down next to him.

He cautiously accepted the drink and turned his eyes toward her.

She took a decent sized sip of her wine before resting it on the table in front of her.

"It's about Olivia." She started tentatively.

He sighed heavily and took a long pull on his own drink.

_Of course it was about Olivia. It was always about her….Don't know why I expected this to be about anything else._

"What'd she do this time?" He sighed out as his shoulders slumped a bit.

He'd paid for all of the wrongdoings he'd committed as a teen when Rachel popped out the female version of him fifteen years earlier. She was her father's daughter down to the core.

"Well, I caught her in a bit of an… an inappropriate situation with her boyfriend over the weekend." Rachel replied, practically wincing at the words as they spilled out of her mouth.

Noah's eyes briefly grew wide before narrowing.

"Olivia has a boyfriend? I didn't know that. No one said anything to me. Who is he? And define 'inappropriate situation' because if you're implying what I think you're implying I need to leave because I have some hunting to do." He shot back, his voice rose slightly as his green eyes darkened. He wasn't happy about this development.

Rachel sucked in a deep breath as she prepared to answer the questions he'd fired at her.

"She does. She asked that I keep it under wraps for a bit. They've been dating for a month." Rachel replied evenly, hoping he wouldn't notice she hadn't addressed the 'inappropriate situation' aspect.

"Seriously Rachel? You went for that? You didn't tell me because you knew I was going to be pissed." He retorted, his face darkening in anger.

She raised her eyebrows at his blatant display of frustration. His outbursts didn't shock her anymore. They hadn't in a very long time.

"And clearly, I was wrong." She shot back sarcastically, raising an eyebrow challengingly at him.

"You didn't answer my other questions." He pointed out, mashing his teeth in frustration.

She met his gaze and blinked.

"What other questions?"

He rolled his eyes at her obvious ploy to play stupid.

"Who is he and what were they doing." He clarified, speaking the words slowly and concisely.

"His name is Justin St. James. And they were caught in the midst of attempting to consummate their young relationship." She explained calmly, hoping he'd have long since forgotten the name St. James.

"They were having sex?" He shouted, his face reddening as the thought of his young daughter sleeping with some punk ass kid consumed him.

She almost gave a sigh of relief that he'd focused on the latter part of her statement. This… This she could handle. Or at least, attempt to handle. Explaining the reappearance of Jesse St. James in their lives… That was a little easier said than done.

_Don't get too excited. Jesse still wants to have a sit down… Maybe there's a way around that. Maybe I can convince Noah that I can handle this without his presence._

"They were in the process of having sex. We walked in just before things started to progress." She replied.

"We?"

Rachel could have smacked herself for the slip.

"Who's 'we' Rachel?"

"His father and me. I was at their home picking her up after my show Saturday." She elaborated, silently praying he wouldn't take his questioning to the next level.

"What's his father's name? I'd like to speak with him. We all need to sit down and talk." Noah said, his voice forceful and dark.

"Well, it's funny you mention that. He suggested the same thing. I think I can take care of it on my own though Noah, I am her primary caregiver and she was so concerned about your involvement in the situation and seeing as she is a girl and I'm her mother, it's a delicate topic of conversation and she's so young…" Rachel rambled on, hoping to distract him from his previous line of questioning.

Rachel's diversionary tactics bordered on legendary. He would know; he'd fallen for them many times before.

The rambling was the dead giveaway.

He sat quietly and waited for her to wind down, with the intention of asking his question as soon as she shut her trap.

"Name, Rachel. What's his name?" Noah asked, his voice low and tense. Her attempt to distract him was a clear indication he wasn't going to like her answer.

Rachel sighed heavily. She'd tried. She really had.

"Jesse. His name is Jesse St. James." She said at last, her eyes on his face as she waited for the name to click.

He turned the name over in his head a few times. It sounded familiar. Very familiar.

A moment later, the realization washed over him.

"Jesse St. James! Jess the douche bag that cost us Nationals! Who broke your heart? Who threw eggs at you! You're letting our daughter date his son? Have you completely lost your mind?"

Her temper flared at his words. "Justin is polite young many who's been nothing but respectful of our daughter. I'd suggest you give some serious consideration to the indiscretion at hand and think long and hard about our daughter's colorful reputation."

It wasn't that Rachel was attempting to throw her daughter under the bus. It was that her husband needed to be reminded that their child was far from faultless in this situation and he sometimes had a difficult time recalling that little piece of information.

He sighed heavily. He wasn't happy about any of this, far from it. But Rachel wasn't wrong. Their daughter was far from innocent when it came to most situations she got herself into, so there was no reason to think this one would be any different.

"I really don't feel like dealing with that man Rachel." He heaved out, his eyes meeting hers.

She nodded understandingly. She got the message. Noah had defended her honor the last time a St. James had hurt her, he didn't have it in him to deal with the next generation.

"I'm fine with handling the meeting on my own." She reassured him.

His gaze rose to meet hers. "Are you? Because he threw eggs at you the last time you had a meeting."

She offered him a tight smile.

"I've seen him twice in the past month. I've not had the pleasure of being pelted with poultry offspring in a long time. I will be fine."

Noah stood, a clear signal that this little meeting was now drawing to a close.

"I trust you'll let me know how it goes." He stated, his eyebrows arched as he waited for her response.

She rolled her eyes in response.

"As if I could avoid telling you. Goodbye Noah." She replied coolly, her arms folded primly in front of her.

He gave her a final nod before turning and making his way out.

Four days later Rachel was perched in her favorite overstuffed armchair at Caldi's Coffee Café four blocks from her theater. She sipped her skinny latte as she tried her hardest not to search out the window for him.

She glanced down at her outfit and picked at the invisible lint she discovered there. She'd chosen her outfit carefully. Truth be told, she chose every outfit carefully, a habit from her teenage years she hadn't bothered kicking.

Her attire consisted of her favorite light gray pencil skirt, a white camisole with a coral cashmere cardigan buttoned over the top of it. Her shoes were a shiny black patent 4" pointed toe stiletto. Completely unnecessary and extremely uncomfortable but they made her legs appear endless. And for that, she was willing to suffer.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the solid sound of his approaching footsteps.

"Rachel?" Jesse said quietly as he'd noticed she was very much lost in thought.

Her head whipped around and her cheeks stained a vibrant cherry red at his sudden appearance at her side.

She jumped to her feet and shot him a small smile, desperately trying to ignore her heart, which was currently slamming violently in her chest.

"Hi Jesse. It's good to see you." She greeted him, silently praying her greeting didn't sound too forced or awkward.

He offered a warm smile and stepped forward, he was now officially in her space.

"We seem to be short an ex-husband." He commented as he took a seat in the free armchair next to her.

Rachel gave him a tight, thin smile. "Well, once Noah found out who his daughter was dating, and more precisely, the father of the young man, well, let's just say he didn't take the news too well so I reassured him I could handle this without his presence." Rachel explained quickly, not wanting to drag Noah into this anymore than need be.

"Ahh. That's alright. I can't say I'm surprised. But I understand." Jesse replied quietly. He couldn't really blame the absent man, not after what he'd done to Rachel. Noah Puckerman had every right to dislike him.

"It's actually not OK at all, he's too old to be working this hard to maintain such ridiculous grudges. I'm sorry it's being taken out on you." She apologized as she took a sip of her drink.

Jesse opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the approaching waitress. They quickly ordered and she turned her attention back to him.

"So, back to the matter at hand. Horny teenagers." He stated, a small grin playing on his lips.

She chuckled and rewarded his comedic attempt with a full smile.

"We wouldn't know anything about those, would we?" She replied with a coy smile.

Jesse barked out a laugh. "Rachel Berry just made a joke with a lewd overtone. I seem to have missed the forecast indicating pigs were in fact, flying." He joked.

"Well, did you think I'd be the same girl I was all those years ago?" She asked as she brought her latte to her lips.

He studied her intently, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "I suppose all the times I've thought of you, I never gave thought to the idea that you might've changed."

"All the times you've thought of me? You make it sound like it's a regular occurrence." She commented, smiling at the waitress as she dropped off Rachel's refill and Jesse's frappacino.

"Well, that's because it was."

She would have spit her latte all over him had she actually taken a drink.

"I meant what I told you. I loved you. I loved you as much as I could. What I did… I never forgave myself for it." His voice was raw and gravely with pure emotion and honesty. His hand came to rest on her forearm and he lightly gripped it, as if to drive his apology a little deeper.

Rachel's composure was rapidly crumbling. This was not the direction she'd imagined their conversation going in. She needed to re-direct, and fast.

"Jesse, as heartwarmingly sincere as that was, we aren't here to rehash the past. We're here to discuss the indiscretions our two teenagers committed last weekend. That takes precedence." She reminded him softly.

He immediately lifted his hand from her arm. She didn't miss the look of loss/disappointment flash across his features before he schooled his face to a more neutral expression.

"Right, of course. I apologize for getting off track. Now, as far as the events of the evening…." He relayed the night's events to her dutifully and quickly.

She'd tuned him out about halfway through though. She'd done the right thing by stopping his apologetic tirade, right? Wasn't it for the best?

If what she did was for the best, why did she want him to put his hand back on her arm so badly?

A/N: Another chapter down. Next chapter I'll show a bit more on Jesse's side, get into his head a bit. Thanks for reading and reviewing, you guys make my day every day!

GLEE FINALE TONIGHT! I'm totally having a Glee Party. We're having slushies!


	5. Dance Dance

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 5: Dance Dance

"Mom, please tell me you're kidding?" Olivia shrieked loudly at her mother.

Rachel rolled her eyes at her dramatic daughter.

"Not a joke Olivia. I'm chaperoning that dance." She informed her young daughter.

"Mom, you and Mr. St. James have been like, stalking us, for a whole month now. Why can't we have like, one night without you guys!" She questioned angrily as she stomped into the kitchen.

Rachel followed behind at a more leisurely pace. "That reminds me, Jesse sent me an email about chaperoning himself as well." She told her daughter as she pulled a bottle of water from the fridge.

She did everything she could to keep the grin off her face as her daughter wailed her displeasure.

"BOTH of you? Really, mom, that's just totally overdoing it." Olivia argued.

"Well, I suppose you should have thought about that before you tried giving it up so soon." Rachel shot back, her eyes narrowing.

"I'd suggest you listen to your mother." Noah's voiced boomed from the back entrance to the kitchen, scaring both mother and daughter.

"Hi daddy!" Olivia exclaimed, rushing to her father.

He arched an eyebrow at Rachel as he returned his daughter's hug.

"Let me grab my things and we can go." Liv informed him before rushing off to her room.

"So you're chaperoning her dance huh? When is it? I might be able to go as well, lay on a little more heat." Noah inquired.

"Next Friday. I'm sure she'd hate it if you were there." Rachel revealed as she took a sip off her water bottle.

He grabbed his own bottle from the fridge and leaned back against the sink.

"Sign me up."

She nodded and headed towards her study.

"Rach?" He called out, only steps behind her.

"Yes Noah?" She returned.

"Are… Are you… Are you seeing St. James?" He questioned at last.

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Don't see how that's any of your business, but no, I'm not." She shot back.

He did little more than nod.

"So, I guess I'll see you Friday night?" He asked tentatively.

She nodded her affirmation before disappearing into her study and securing the door behind her.

ONE WEEK LATER

Really, she shouldn't be worrying this much about her choice of attire. It was a HIGH SCHOOL DANCE for god's sakes.

_A dance that Jesse's going to be attending as well._

She cursed herself for allowing that thought to intrude on her decision making process.

The dress was perfect. She'd bought it two weeks earlier when she'd decided to chaperone, and after she'd heard Jesse would be joining her. (That last part had yet to be admitted aloud.)

It was a deep royal purple one shouldered jersey dress that stopped just above her knees. Her favorite black peep toe pumps would go beautifully with the dress.

But… looking at it now, a wave of fear washed over her. She was dressing like this because she wanted to impress him. Because she wanted him to see she still had it.

She wanted him to see that because it was true. She did still have it. But that thought did nothing to quell the nerves burying themselves deep in her stomach.

_I'm Rachel Berry. I sing onstage 8 nights a week to thousands of people. This is a high school dance. I can do this in my sleep._

Her internal pep talk seemed to work because before she knew it, the dress was on and she was right in the middle of doing her makeup.

Thankfully she didn't have to worry about getting Olivia ready. She'd chosen to get ready with her friends so Rachel was left with a quiet house.

By 6 PM she was out the door and on her way to her daughter's school.

He was nervous. He'd done a stellar job of hiding it thus far but he was sweating bullets. He'd been standing in the corner of the gym, watching the kids enter, scanning the crowd for her face.

He took a sip of the watered down punch and gazed across the throng of kids and just like that, he saw her.

Jesse sucked in a deep breath and gulped. She looked amazing. Time had been kind to Rachel, no doubt, but that outfit… He could die a happy man.

Deciding the staring was odd, he deposited his empty cup in the trash and started to make his way to her side.

Moments before he walked into her line of sight, a tall, well dressed man appeared by her side.

Jesse scrutinized the man before realization dawned on him.

It was her ex-husband.

Why was he here?

He didn't get much time to consider the situation because apparently, he was in her line of sight after all.

A few words were thrown in Puck's direction before she made her way to his side.

"Hey there." He greeted her lightly, a small smile on his face.

"Jesse. Good to see you? How are you?" She asked warmly.

"I'm great. Much better now that you're here." He said, his words not even dawning on him until after he saw her reaction.

A deep rose blush creeped across her cheeks. "I just mean it's nice to have company." He clarified.

A look passed across her features before she schooled her expression into something more neutral. Was that disappointment?

"It's nice that someone wants me here, especially considering Olivia nearly killed me when she found out I was going to chaperone." She replied with an easy smile.

He chuckled. He knew that feeling all too well. "I got the same reaction from Justin. He's not pleased at all." Jesse confessed.

"St. James."

It would appear as though her ex-husband had picked this moment to make his presence known.

"Puckerman. Good to see you." He greeted, his tone neutral and polite.

Puck narrowed his eyes at the man standing in front of him.

He was known to carry one hell of a grudge and Jesse had no doubt he was still ticked off about the way Regionals had gone down all those years ago.

Clearly Rachel realized that as well.

She put a firm hand on her ex's arm and pulled him away.

"You need to back off. Jesse and I are fine now. And furthermore, you've got no claim on me anymore. I don't need you to defend me. You said you wanted to chaperone, I suggest you do it." She informed him hotly.

Puck rolled his eyes at her before meeting Jesse's gaze. He glared at the man one last time before heading off in the direction he'd come from.

"I'm sorry about that. He just… He doesn't let go of things well."

Jesse smiled wryly at her. "It would appear that he isn't ready to let you go yet either." He observed as he handed her a cup of punch.

Rachel nodded slowly. "I asked for the divorce, he cheated. We tried to make it work. I couldn't get past it. I ended it. He was upset with me for a very long time." She told him, keeping her explanation brief.

"Still is, it would appear." Jesse commented as they turned their eyes back to the kids on the dance floor in front of them.

"That's not my problem. Shouldn't have cheated." She muttered.

Before he could say anything further, she told him she was going to take her post and disappeared.

He spent the next two hours watching her dodge her ex as well as other single fathers who flocked to her like moths to a flame.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. She looked absolutely miserable. He told the next teacher he saw that he and Ms. Berry were taking a short break.

Before she knew what was happening, her drink was being pulled from her hands and she was being tugged towards the dance floor.

She glanced up and into the eyes of Jesse.

He didn't loosen his grip until they were on the dance floor. He swiftly pulled her up against him.

"Sorry that was so abrupt. You looked miserable. I wanted to help." He whispered in her ear.

She chose to ignore the shiver that raced down her spine. "I needed this, thank you." She replied, her breath warming his neck.

His right arm wrapped firmly around her waist and his left hand clasped warmly around her right one.

"I should be thanking you. I'm dancing with the best looking chaperone here." He teased.

"Jesse, the only other woman here is about 60 years old!" She exclaimed through her laughter.

"My statement stands. But seriously, Rachel, you do look amazing." He whispered as his fingertips gripped her hip.

His scent was intoxicating. Every time she breathed in, she inhaled his pungent cologne.

"I want to thank you for all the support with the kids through the last month." She told him as they moved to the slow song playing through the gym.

He gave a shrug and grinned. "Well, we both know what kind of trouble they're capable of getting into… Look who they come from!" He teased.

She threw her head back and laughed.

Jesse's gaze came to rest on her exposed neck. He felt the sudden urge to kiss her right along her pulse point.

She righted herself just in time to catch the heated glint in his eye. She blushed furiously under his intense gaze.

"Sorry, spaced out for a moment." He told her, not wanting to embarrass her further.

Rachel swallowed heavily and stared into his deep eyes.

"Sure that's all it was?" She questioned, arching an eyebrow.

Jesse's grip on her hip tightened ever so slightly at her words. He expelled a deep breath and opened his mouth to respond when he was cut off.

"FIIIIIGHT!" A kid screamed out.

Alarm flashed through her eyes as they broke apart and hurried to center of the gym.

_So close…._

A/N: So there ya go, things are heating up a bit! Hope you enjoyed and again, as always, thank you guys soooo much for reviewing. You don't have to but it means a lot that you do.


	6. Dinner and Drinks

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 6: Dinner and Drinks

It had been nearly a month since her… "moment" with Jesse and she was ashamed to admit she maybe, sort of, wanted to see him again.

At first she'd cursed blamed it on her youth, her inner teenager going crazy for the boy she'd never been able to fully claim as hers.

Next, she'd blamed Noah for his stupid decisions and childish behavior. If he hadn't strayed from their marital bed, she was quite certain this wouldn't have happened.

Jesse was even temporarily at fault. After all, he'd been the one to whisk her off to the dance floor and hold her so close. But then, frustrating as it was, the fact that she'd sort of come onto him, subtle as it was, dashed her ability to blame him.

She'd even briefly considered foisting some responsibility onto her daughter for behaving in the same vain her mother had, falling for the bad boy. That had worked right up until she'd realized in this situation, the St. James in question was actually quite a nice young man, attempts to defile her daughter aside, of course.

That left her with no one to blame but herself. Her and her damn hormones.

At least, that's what she was blaming when she came up with the brilliant idea of having the St. James men over for dinner.

"Mom, that's a bit unnecessary don't you think?" Olivia questioned when she suggested the idea to her daughter over dinner one evening.

"If you think so, I suppose I can table the idea. But, you know, to me, it's just another step in getting to know your boyfriend better, and perhaps it would've brought me a little closer to trusting you again, but if you feel it's unnecessary…" She trailed off nonchalantly.

Olivia sighed heavily from her spot across the table. She'd been chomping at the bit for her freedom. And she knew her mother would be true to her word.

"What day?" She asked at last, not at all pleased with her decision.

Within fifteen minutes, her next encounter with Jesse had officially been scheduled.

Jesse was nervous. He was actually truly, legitimately nervous. Which, to him, was completely ridiculous, especially given it wasn't even a date. It was a dinner, a dinner with Rachel and her daughter, himself and Justin. It was the furthest thing from a date.

And yet, there he was, standing in the middle of a floral shop, turning in circles as he debated whether or not to bring flowers to the evening's festivities.

"Can I help you sir?" An elderly woman questioned from behind the counter.

He turned to face her and offered a small smile.

"I'm not sure, maybe. My son and I are going to have dinner with his girlfriend and her mother. And well… The mother and I have... history. And its history I think I might want to try repeating, but I don't want to come on too strong, considering how terribly it went last time." He blurted out before blushing at his admission. He truly not intended to unload on the poor woman.

If she minded his outburst, she hid it well. She gave him a small smile and moved from behind the counter and made her way to a refrigerated case in the back.

He watched as she dug through all the various bins in the case, picking up a stem, sniffing it, sometimes adding it to her pile, sometimes tossing it back.

Finally, she had what she wanted. She did some quick trimming and arranging before wrapping a few layers of green tissue paper around them and securing the paper with a thin white ribbon.

He breathed a sigh of relief when she handed him a simple bouquet full of small, colorful flowers.

"Can't go wrong with this bunch here." She told him as she ran his credit card.

Jesse nodded his thanks and headed out. He still had to pick up Justin and change.

For the second time in a month, Rachel was fretting over her wardrobe.

A small dinner at home didn't call for that killer black cocktail dress she stared longingly at. No, it was too much, no need to overdo it. She had to be more casual than that.

Finally, after sifting through her neatly hung skirts, pants and dresses, she pulled out a black button down shirt dress and a wide brown belt. She buttoned herself into the dressed and buckled the belt around her waist.

She left her hair down, her makeup minimal and her feet bare.

Rachel gazed into the mirror.

This was her, this was who she was.

After one last appraisal, she turned on her heel and strode to the kitchen to double check on dinner.

The lasagna was just about finished and the bread was toasting in the top oven nicely.

Rachel gave the dinner a small nod before stepping to the stairs.

"Liv! Come down here please." She called up the stairs, hoping her daughter wouldn't put up too much of a fight.

She grabbed the plates and silverware from their respective cabinet and drawer and set them on the island just as Olivia padded into the kitchen wearing her old tattered jeans and a white tank.

"Olivia, that is not what you're wearing, is it?" Rachel asked, not too terribly shocked at her daughter's wardrobe choice.

The younger woman groaned and rolled her eyes. "Planned on it."

"We're having company. Go change. Nice jeans are fine, nothing with holes or cleavage. When you're done, I need you to set the table." She informed Liv, her tone clearly indicating this matter was not up for discussion.

For once, the stubborn girl didn't fight her. She simply turned on her heel and ran up the stairs to change.

Five minutes later she reappeared in dark blue jeans and a green v-neck sweater.

"Much better. Now get a move on, they'll be here soon."

The two women worked quickly and managed to get dinner on the table right as the bell rang.

"I'll grab the wine glasses and water goblets, you go ahead and grab the door." Rachel suggested to her daughter as she headed back to the kitchen.

She heard their murmured hellos as she pulled out the appropriate barware and the bottle of wine she'd been chilling in the fridge.

"Hi."

Thank goodness she'd just set the wine down on the counter because she was fairly certain she'd have dropped it out of fright.

"Oh God, sorry Rach, I didn't mean to scare you!" He muttered as he stepped closer.

She offered him a sheepish grin. "It's fine. I scare easy. How are you Jesse?" She asked as she uncorked the wine.

He nodded his yes to her when she held up a glass to him before answering. "I'm great. Show's doing well, Justin's not causing as many headaches as before and I'm having dinner with you." As he finished, he handed her the small bouquet he'd kept from sight until this moment.

Rachel sucked in a quick breath as she accepted the flowers. They were gorgeous. Not too overdone but still vibrant and colorful.

"Jesse, they're beautiful. Thank you." She told him as she fished a vase from under the sink as she tried in vain to hide the bright red blush staining her cheeks.

She quickly sunk them into the vase, poured the wine and handed him a glass.

He let his eyes roam her small frame appreciatively. She was still small as ever, and her bare feet did nothing to help matters.

"Dinner's on the table already. Shall we head in?" She questioned as she grasped the bottle of wine in one hand and her glass in the other.

"After you." He replied as he followed her through the kitchen and into the dining room.

Dinner was a pleasant affair. The lasagna was a hit and the four of them got along very well.

Once dinner was finished and cleaned up, the two teenagers turned their eyes to their parents.

Olivia cleared her throat and met her mother's gaze. "We'd like to watch a movie in the den, if that's ok." She started, holding her breath in anticipation.

Jesse and Rachel exchanged looks.

"I'm fine with it, if you are." He agreed after a moment of silence.

Rachel turned her eyes back to her daughter.

"This is your one and only shot here. If you break my trust on this one, that'll be it and you'll only be seeing Justin in school. Are we clear?" Rachel questioned, her eyes burning into her daughter's.

The young girl blinked and nodded. It wasn't often that her mother got this fierce. Granted, she was the disciplinarian but still, it wasn't common for her to speak to her in this tone.

"Go. We'll be checking in on you guys. Frequently." Jesse interjected, his tone level and cool.

They watched the kids retreat down the hall to the den.

He turned to her. "Think they'll try anything?" He asked as he followed her into the study/office.

"Who knows with that one… But just to be safe, I removed all the blankets from the room and I may or may not have sent the couch cushions to be cleaned." She replied with a sly grin as she took her place behind the bar.

He threw his head back and laughed at her admission. It was a very 'Rachel' thing to do. It was refreshing to see some of the old Rachel still shone through every great once in awhile.

"What can I get for you?" She asked, a smile playing across her lips.

He offered her a grin in return. "Gin and Tonic would be much appreciated." He replied. 

She nodded and quickly mixed his drink. She slid it across the bar to him moments later.

Jesse took a quick sip and smiled appreciatively. "Pretty good. When'd you learn to mix drinks?"

Rachel laughed a little. "Well before they let me on stage, I worked the bar. Singing bartender."

"They hire those?" He asked incredulously.

Her giggle was infectious. "Not so much hired… Essentially I decided just to become one." She replied with a grin as she took a seat on the loveseat next to him.

A comfortable silence fell over them. He sipped his cocktail and gave her a sidelong glance. After a moment, he decided to mention the elephant in the room.

He cleared his throat loudly and met her gaze. "So… About what happened at the dance…" He started, not wanting to go too far without gauging her response.

When all she could manage to do was blush, he continued. "I truly hope I didn't come on too strong. I guess I just got caught up in a moment, nostalgia took over…." He finished, his tone a bit wistful, as if he'd hoped it'd gone farther than it actually had.

She took a quick swallow of her wine before lifting her eyes to his.

"I've tried blaming a lot of people for our little interlude, including you. But really, when it all came down to it, I couldn't blame you. It wasn't your fault. You've nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I took it too far. It was wrong of me. I'm sorry for putting you in such an uncomfortable-"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence because Jesse'd crushed his lips to hers. Sparks zinged down her spine as her body hummed with pleasure and anticipation.

His left hand cupped her cheek briefly, before burying in her hair, whilst his right hand gripped her hip as he suddenly felt the need to draw her closer.

Rachel moaned under his ministrations, her mind fuzzy with lust and excitement. She felt him swipe his tongue along the seam of her lips and she found herself opening willingly to him.

He invaded her mouth and the intensity level tripled. She clenched his muscular bicep as she briefly considered climbing into his lap, just to get closer.

She was on fire, the temperature seemed to have gone up several degrees in the last several minutes. Or maybe it was just the scorch of his kisses.

Finally, he pulled back and surveyed her appearance. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks were flushed, and her lips swollen.

He decided he liked this look on her.

Jesse offered her a small, half smile as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"What now?" He whispered to her, his hand coming to rest on her exposed knee.

Rachel took a breath and probed his face with her eyes, looking for hints of anything malicious, devious, any sign of anything remotely devious.

All she found was genuine admiration and a clear appreciation for what had just happened. He looked just as breathless and shocked as she was sure she did.

A moment later, she gave her answer.

"No one can know."

She didn't allow him to respond. Her small hands grabbed his lapels and she yanked his mouth to hers.

A/N: So there, they finally kissed! Who's happy?


	7. Rendezvous

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 7: Rendezvous

Rachel jumped slightly at the sound of her phone buzzing, indicating she'd received a text message.

She glanced at her alarm clock on the bedside table. It was nearing 11 PM. Who was texting her so late?

The phone buzzed again, reminding her she still hadn't opened her new message.

Sighing, she slid her glasses up on her nose and grabbed the phone.

Her heart squeezed just a bit when she was it was from Jesse.

**Jesse St. James:** Hope it's not too late, but I just wanted to take a moment and tell you I really enjoyed our rendezvous this afternoon.

The brunette blushed like a school girl at the mention of their early afternoon activities.

Then again, she supposed it was appropriate to blush like a school girl when she acted like one.

_Flashback_

"_Wanna meet for lunch?" He asked the moment she picked up the phone._

_"I have rehearsal." She quickly replied, silently congratulating herself on coming up with an excuse so quickly._

_He rolled his eyes on the other end. "No you don't. I'm in the same business as you. I know you're off this week. Come on Rach, have lunch with me."_

_She knew what 'have lunch with me' meant in Jesse's world._

"_I'm not going to have sex with you." She informed him tartly._

_He laughed loudly at her statement. "I think all I suggested was lunch, I didn't say anything about sex." He reminded her, fighting the urge to say more, she wasn't ready for that yet._

_It was her turn to roll her eyes. She knew Jesse's lines almost as well as he did. _

"_Meet me at Empressario's in an hour." He suggested._

_She heaved a sigh as she considered his offer. She knew herself well enough to know she'd give in eventually. No time like the present._

"_I'll be there." She clicked off and pressed her pointer finger to her lips. Exactly what was she getting herself into? "Guess I better go find out." She muttered to herself as she made her way to her bathroom to get ready._

_When she stepped out of her cab in front of Empressario's, she rolled her eyes. Of course it was attached to a hotel._

_She quickly paid the driver and strode into the restaurant._

_It didn't take her long to find him. He was seated in a corner by the window and hadn't seen her yet. She took a moment to admire him. Time had been good to him, aging had only enhanced his already chiseled face. His curls were cropped closer to his head now, and the hard lines of his face had only gotten sharper as the years had gone on. Today, he sported a bit of a 5 o'clock shadow and before she realized it, she found herself wanting to rub the pads of her fingers over his cheeks and chin._

_As quickly as the thought had entered her mind, she forced it away. She couldn't keep going there, not with him._

_His lightly lined eyes were trained on something outside, he still hadn't glanced up. She found these moments were some of her favorite. The times where he didn't know anyone was watching, the times when he let his guard down and was just… Jesse._

_A grin touched her cheeks as she made her way over to his table._

_His gaze caught movement in his direction. He glanced to his left and his eyes came to rest on Rachel's small frame moving towards him._

_He gave her a small smile as he stood up to greet her._

_She wrung her hands nervously as she approached him. She hadn't seen him since their interlude in her office two weeks before, though it certainly wasn't due to lacking of trying on Jesse's part. He'd pestered her several times over the course of those two weeks before she finally gave in._

_The moment she stopped at the table, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, his hand resting comfortably on her forearm._

_It amused her that such a simple gesture could elicit such a visible response. Her cheeks were stained a cherry red, her breath hitched in her throat._

_She sat down in the chair next to him, noting the closeness, the table could barely be classified as such, it was so small._

_His gaze flicked between her and the menu. It had taken him two weeks to agree to sit down with him and he wanted to know why._

_He opened his mouth to voice his question but the waiter, showing impeccable timing, appeared to take their orders._

_They both ordered their drinks and their lunches. Their menus were whisked away and Rachel found herself with nothing to do except gaze nervously about the room._

"_Why were you avoiding me?" He asked plainly, yanking her gaze from the bustle of New York City back to him._

_Rachel opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as she attempted to formulate a response._

"_You look like a fish." He commented with a small smile as he took a quick sip of his scotch._

"_I don't trust myself around you." She blurted out, a look of disbelief crossing her face once she realized what she'd just said._

_To his credit, Jesse took this well and managed not to laugh in her face. Instead, he remained quiet for a moment as he allowed himself to absorb her confession._

"_I suppose that's a fair feeling, considering what happened a few weeks ago. But what is it, exactly, that you think you'll do to me?"_

_She furrowed her brow at his question. "What I'll do to you?" She asked, slightly confused._

_His smile was a bit wicked when he replied. "You said you don't trust yourself around me. What is it you think you'll do?"_

_She visibly gulped at his clarification. She'd sort of been hoping she wouldn't have to go into any sort of detail. It would appear as though she was mistaken._

"_Well… I just…. After what happened before… It's been so long since we've seen each other… I… I don't know what I'd do." She fumbled out at last._

_He nodded his head, taking in her words. She was nervous. But then, so was he._

"_Why then, did you agree to meet me today?" He pressed, his curiosity getting the better of him._

"_To tell you that I think we should try to rein in this… Whatever this is, and try to remain friendly, for the sake of our children." She replied, taking a sip of the wine that had just been placed in front of her._

_Jesse nodded to the waiter as he took a quick gulp of his freshened scotch._

"_What if I wasn't interested in keeping it friendly?" He asked after a beat._

_She looked taken aback by his question."I'm… I'm not sure what you're implying." She finally squeaked out, fairly certain her face was flushing a brilliant red color._

"_I think you know Rachel. Our history together surpasses that of our kids. And clearly, we've not lost any of the chemistry we had before." He pointed out._

_It took several moments for Rachel to digest this point. "I… I don't know Jesse. I certainly can't deny the logic in your statement. We have retained our chemistry, but is it wise to continue this jaunt down memory lane? I can't imagine it ending well."_

_He glanced around the room before moving in close, his lips barely brushing up against her ear. "It's hardly a jaunt down memory lane, not much to go back to, is there? And who says it's going to end?"_

_The shivers that coursed down her spine were unavoidable. Her fingers tightened around the stem of the wine glass._

_She turned to face him, only to find her face centimeters from his. "Give me one good reason not to kiss you right now." He challenged, his breath brushing against her face._

_She would have given him a reason, many reasons in fact, if only she could speak. But at that moment, she was without words._

_He took that as his go ahead and closed the small distance between them._

_His kiss was firm and his lips pliant. Rachel felt her blood start to boil as he nipped at her bottom lip. One hand held her firmly at the base of neck, the other rested dangerously high on her thigh._

_When his tongue prodded the seam of her lips for entrance, she granted it. But it only took seconds for her to recall exactly where they were, in public._

_She tore her lips from his and valiantly attempted to put some space between the two of them._

_He wasn't having it, though. He held fast to her chair and to her. _

"_Where exactly do you think you're going?"_

_Rachel turned to him and met his gaze with her own. "I told you I wasn't going to have sex with you. I'm not interested in a physical affair Jesse. I'm too old for this sort of thing."_

_With that said, she stood, gathered her belongings and hurried to the door, not interested in furthering the conversation._

_Jesse stared after her. He hadn't been expecting that. He scrambled to his feet, tossed a couple of bills on the table and sprinted after her._

_He caught her arm just as she raised it to hail a cab._

_Swiftly, he turned her to face him and steadied her with a hand on her hip._

"_I'm not asking you to have sex. That's not what this is about. I'm not interested in something strictly physical. Truthfully, I'm just interested in you. I'll do this however you want to. If you want to keep it between us, we'll do that. If you want to make me wait six months to consummate, I'll do that too. I'm just asking for a shot. Just one chance. If I blow it, I'll bow out and leave you alone." He explained hastily, his breath coming in short bursts._

_End Flashback_

**Rachel Berry: **I'm nearly positive we can call that a 'date' seeing as we're actually dating now.

**Jesse St. James:** But doesn't rendezvous sound sexier, more mysterious? I think it fits well, since we're keeping this under wraps.

**Rachel Berry:** Goodnight Jesse.

**Jesse St. James: ** Wait!

**Rachel Berry:** ?

**Jesse St. James: **I want a real, honest to god date. No kids, no small bistro tables, no running out. A real date. We need to celebrate.

Rachel grinned down at her phone. She was enjoying this Jesse, the adult, grown up Jesse.

**Rachel Berry:** Liv is with her dad this weekend. I can have my understudy fill in. How about Saturday night?

**Jesse St. James:** Sounds perfect. Can't wait.

And truth be told, neither could she.

Sorry it took me FOREVER to update, but life got in the way. Anyways, your reviews/alerts are always appreciated. Hope you enjoyed!


	8. A New Development

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 8: A New Development

Rehearsal had completely drained her. Her new show was surely going to be the death of her.

She padded towards her dressing room, contemplating the rest of her day. It was coming up on 5, she'd need food soon, but not before a ridiculously long shower. Liv was with Noah this weekend so it would be relatively quiet. Perhaps Jesse was free, maybe they could have dinner….

"Rachel! Quick cast meeting in rehearsal room two. Shouldn't take too long." Natalia, one of her costars, informed her as she passed her in the hall.

Sighing heavily, she turned from her route to her dressing room and headed to the meeting.

Within minutes, Peter Adler, their director, took to the floor.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, my wife has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Two weeks ago we were told the cancer is terminal and there will be no further treatments. It is her wish to spend the remainder of her life traveling and experiencing life in ways she hasn't before. That being said, I'm resigning as your director. But don't worry, I've already found a replacement. He's quite brilliant, I truly admire his work, especially given his age. I'd like to introduce you all to your new director, Jesse St. James!"

Rachel froze. Jesse was going to be her new director? _Jesse?_ As in the man she'd seen no less than four times in the last week… Why hadn't he told her? Why was she finding out like this? Her head spun. She couldn't date the director of her play, it was unbecoming. She was an established star, she couldn't have this sullying her good name.

She narrowed her eyes as her secret boyfriend took over the floor. This simply would not do. She would not, could not, stand for this sort of behavior.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur, she wasn't really listening, as she was far too focused on the blatant manner in which Jesse had withheld this crucial piece of information.

As soon as they were dismissed, Rachel jumped to her feet and rushed from the meeting, she wasn't interested in running into her new 'director' just yet.

She made it to her dressing room without incident. After gathering her bag, purse and phone, Rachel shut the door behind her and hurried to the garage that housed her car.

_I'm nearly homefree. I just need to get to my car and-_

Her thought process was interrupted as she turned the corner and saw Jesse leaning up against her car.

Her eyes narrowed into an angry glare as she stormed toward him.

He knew she was going to be pissed about this. He knew the moment the opportunity was offered and he accepted without even talking to her.

The worst part was yet to come. She was going to ask him why. She was going to ask him why he didn't tell her.

Jesse didn't have an answer for that question. He really didn't know why. He'd spent a good amount of time trying to convince himself it was a business decision that didn't require input from his personal life.

As it turns out, it was a huge waste of time because, judging by the look on Rachel's face, she very much felt like this was, in fact, a personal issue.

"Jesse." She greeted him curtly, making no effort to hide her dissatisfaction with his recent career move.

"Rach, you have to let me-" He attempted, hoping to get a word in edgewise before she jumped all over his ass.

Luck was not on his side because she cut him off before he reached the end of his sentence.

"Save it Jesse. It really doesn't matter, does it? Because I certainly can't date my director, how would that look?" She demanded as she beeped the lock on her car and tossed her purse and bag into the backseat.

"Rachel, I think we can work around that. We're not exactly public as it is." He pointed out, appealing to her logical side.

"Be that as it may, I won't jeopardize my career for the sake of a fling." She replied coolly, knowing her words would sting.

She didn't miss her mark. His face had hurt written all over it.

"So you're just done with me?" He questioned quietly.

She turned to him, her gaze cool and stoic. "That's one way of putting it I suppose." She agreed as she palmed her keys and lifted a leg to get into her car.

"Would it have mattered?" He asked, his own voice a bit stronger. If she wanted to play the bitch, he could play the asshole.

Rachel rolled her eyes before turning her head towards him.

"Would what have mattered?" She shot back, clearly not interested in furthering their conversation.

"If I'd told you. Would it have mattered if I'd told you about it first?" He clarified, taking a step closer to her.

She stiffened when she felt his hand slide over her hip.

"Why didn't you?" She asked, her voice barely audible.

"I thought about it, I honestly did. I know I should have. You know I like to keep my personal life separate from my professional. I knew if I told you… If I told you it meant I stood a good chance of losing you." He confessed.

She held his gaze for a moment, almost as if she was trying to determine whether or not he was being genuine.

"You're an adult Jesse. We aren't sixteen anymore. You can't keep hiding behind childish excuses. I've dealt with secrets and lies before. If I wanted to deal with those again, I can call Noah." She chided as she attempted to get in the car again.

He grabbed hold of her elbow and pulled her toward him.

"Sorry, no. You don't get to run. You don't get to throw your ex-husband in my face. I'm not him and you know that. You're an adult now, too. Look, I'm sorry for keeping it from you. Obviously it wasn't my intention to hurt you. I apologize. It was not an attempt to hurt you, if anything, it was an attempt to prolong what I thought would be the inevitable, losing you." He told her, his face only inches from hers.

Rachel sighed heavily and looked away. "Look… I can forgive this. I can. But this development… This is a huge show and I can't… I don't have many years left on the stage, I know that. I know my stock isn't nearly what it was ten years ago. So the last thing I need is a scandal." She informed him, finally turning her gaze back to his.

He dropped her hand as he felt his heart drop in his chest.

"So you are ending it." He stated, his voice laced with defeat.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"No, we're just going to have to be _very_ careful."

A/N: So there's the next chapter. I've got some ideas rolling around in my head for how they could sneak around/what they could do… But feel free to shoot some ideas at me.

And as always, your thoughts are greatly appreciated.


	9. A Much Needed Distraction

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 9: A Much Needed Distraction

Opening week had gone beautifully. Critically speaking, these were the best reviews she'd gotten in two years. Truth be told, she couldn't be happier.

Granted, she'd had some concerns about taking direction from Jesse, given their relationship. And honestly, they'd had a few blow ups.

_Flashback_

"_I'm sorry, but I highly doubt that Lydia would accept that sort of solution, given the situation Mark put her in!" Rachel argued on behalf of her character._

_Jesse bit out a frustrated growl. They'd been going over this particular scene for over an hour. It was just himself, Rachel and Alex Bennis, the actor playing Mark._

"_Rachel, I'm done fighting with you on this. If you don't like my change, I suggest you detach yourself from this play and go find another one." He snapped, clearly angry._

_Alex's eyes widened as he backed up a few feet._

_She said nothing. Instead, she twirled on her heel and stormed off, a distant sound of a door slamming echoed through the theater._

"_So I'm guessing we're done for today?" Alex asked after a beat._

_Jesse combed his fingers through his unruly hair and sighed. "Yeah, it would appear that way. I'll go handle that. Have a good evening." He told his other star before making his way back to her dressing room._

_He stood outside of it for a moment, collecting his thoughts, preparing his argument. He knew this sort of situation was going to happen eventually, but that didn't mean he was looking forward to it._

_A deep breath in and his hand was one the door. He turned it and stepped in. She was pacing the room, her breath coming out in angry pants._

"_This is why I didn't want to do this! This right here, this is why! This makes US so much harder to-"_

_He cut her off. He definitely didn't mean to but she was standing there in her costume, a short, shimmery black dress, her cheeks tinted a bright pink, her eyes brooding and dark with frustration. All his previous thoughts went out the window._

_He cut her off with his mouth. Two strides, a firm hand on her hip, his thumb digging into her side. He crushed her mouth to his. In that moment, he had to taste her. _

_She only resisted for a moment before she melted against his hard frame. One hand on his neck, the other one gripping one insanely hard bicep. _

_His hand fisted in her hair, the other playing at the hem of her dress. Need ripped through him like fire. _

_Jesse pushed her up against the door before moving his lips from her mouth to her neck._

"_God you're hot when you're mad." He muttered as his teeth closed around her collarbone._

_She moaned as her hands dug into her hair. She felt shameless, wanton even. His lithe fingers gripped the hem of her dress, slowly tugging it up._

"_You make me really hot when you get all passionate and dramatic." He continued, his words whispering along her neck. _

_She wanted to reply, she did but every move he made robbed her of her ability to form sentences._

"_I want you so badly right now." He murmured, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips when she moaned and shuddered under his ministrations._

_His fingers slid underneath the hem of the dress and danced up her inner thigh._

_The feather-light touches are what brought her back down._

"_We had a deal." She panted out._

_He nipped at her throat as his lips trailed down towards the dip in the front of her dress._

"_I know but you're killing me right now." He shot back, his fingers still slanting across her thighs, drawing sinfully wonderful designs as they climbed higher._

"_We said we'd wait… Til after the show. You know that."_

_He sighed heavily as she finished her thought._

_She wasn't wrong. _

_Technically, they hadn't had sex yet. They'd done some other things, rolled around in bed like the teenagers they once were, let their fingers and mouths roam their bodies, but Rachel had stopped him when he'd gone in for the kill, protesting because she didn't want him to cloud her 'artistic integrity' with sex._

_He'd gone along with it, mostly because she was half naked and letting him do unspeakable things to her when she suggested it._

_Now? Now he hated it. And he hated her a little bit for holding her to it._

_So, with a disappointed sigh, he pulled back and stepped away._

"_Fine. You win. But we can't fight anymore or I will take you, on stage, in front of everyone." He promised her, his gaze wicked as he raked his eyes down her body._

_End Flashback_

They'd kept it civil after that, though there'd been a time or two where she'd considered picking a fight just to see what he'd do.

But today… Today was Monday. Monday meant she was off. Everyone was. And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't hoping they'd finally climb between the sheets and let their inhibitions run wild.

No such luck. Why? Because it was the first night of Hanukkah and that meant seeing Noah.

Olivia was with him at the moment, she'd gone to his house right after school and Rachel was meeting her there later.

Sighing heavily, she stepped into the shower to prepare herself for the evening.

She was drying her hair when her phone vibrated on the dresser.

"Hey you." He greeted her when she answered.

She grinned into the phone. "Hey yourself. I was just thinking about you." She confessed as she moved to pull her clothes from her closet.

"Good. I'm glad. I was calling to see what your plans were for this evening. If memory serves, this is your night off." He suggested, hoping she was free.

Her heart dropped a little. She very much disliked turning him down. "I'd love to but I can't. First night of Hanukkah. I'm spending it with Liv and Noah." She replied quietly.

He was disappointed. He was disappointed and a little jealous. But he was smart enough to know it wasn't wise to get angry with her but he couldn't stop his sigh of disappointment.

"I'm sorry, I forgot it was your holiday. Of course you'd want to spend it with your family." He responded softly.

"He's not my family Jesse. This is for Olivia. We spend the first and last night of Hanukkah together. The rest of the time, we alternate the middle. This year, he's got her most of the week. Next year, it'll be me." She explained, not wanting to upset him.

He grinned into the phone.

"So does this mean you're free Friday night?" He teased, slightly relieved to hear her explanation.

"Well, I do believe I'm working that evening… I'm in this little show, maybe you've heard of it? Taking Chances?" She replied, amusement evident in her tone.

"I have heard of it. I know the director very well. I'm sure he wouldn't mind letting you have the evening off. I'm sure that understudy of yours would like a crack at the bit leagues." He responded.

"I suppose that's true…. But can you take an evening off?" She questioned as she slipped into her black boots.

"I'm the director. I can do whatever I want." He answered, his tone laced with innuendo. She couldn't help the shiver that ran through her. She knew what he meant.

"Well I guess it's settled then. Friday night it is." She confirmed, infinitely happier now.

"I'm thinking dinner, drinks, and if you're up for it, maybe you can stay with me that evening."

She knew what he meant. She knew and she couldn't wait.

"Something tells me I'll be more than up for it." She assured him, a wide grin on her face.

_Two hours later_

"So what are your plans for this weekend?" Noah asked conversationally as he made them a couple of drinks in his small kitchen.

She glanced up at him from her spot by the window.

"The usual. I have a couple of shows, probably grab lunch with Quinn. Do some shopping." She mused, doing her very best to sound casual and relaxed.

"Could you be persuaded to take an evening off?" He questioned, handing her a glass of wine.

"When? Why?" She shot back, taking a sip.

"I was thinking Friday. We could spend the evening together. Just the three of us." He suggested.

"You know how this goes Noah. We only spend the first and last nights together. We alternate the rest. This isn't new. And I'm sorry, I can't. I'm already taking off that evening. I have plans." She informed him, turning her gaze to the lightly falling snow.

"You didn't mention them when I asked you what you were doing this weekend." He countered, moving closer to her.

"I didn't mention them because they're none of your business. What I do when I'm not with my daughter is no longer any of your concern, remember?" She knew she was hitting a little harder than she needed to but he needed to understand, this was none of his business. She snatched her wine glass and stood, preparing to make her way to the living room.

"Who's the guy?"

His question stopped her in her tracks. She turned slowly and narrowed her eyes at the man standing in front of her.

"Excuse me?" She shot back, visibly upset now.

"You heard me. You didn't mention it in your plans, you didn't want me to know. Obviously it's a date." He stated, crossing his arms in front of himself.

"And so what if it is? It's none of your damn business. It hasn't been your business in over two years. I suggest you keep your nose out of my personal life. I'm done with this conversation and for the time being, I'm done with you."

She grabbed her coat, gave her daughter a quick kiss goodbye and headed out.

And just like that, Friday couldn't get there soon enough.

_End_

So it's back. I love this story, I really do. And I'm very happy I'm continuing it. Look for another update soon!


	10. The Big Finale

A/N: This story is officially going M-Rated. I'm a bit rusty – hope this turns out OK! 

An Unexpected Interruption

Chapter 10: The Big Finale

Two years, six months and a handful of days.

That was how long it had been since she'd been sexually involved with a man. The very thought made her groan and tinged her cheeks an embarrassing cherry color.

Truth be told, she hadn't really given much thought as to how long it had been until Jesse had whisked back into her life and slowly began plucking at tension filled, often unused muscles. Now? Now it was all she thought about.

She'd bowed out of that Friday's performance the previous Wednesday, claiming she needed to spend some quality time with her daughter. Her understudy had nearly peed herself out of sheer excitement.

Jesse waited until the last moment, feigning illness and left his assistant with an armful of notes and a threat of bodily harm should there be any slip ups that evening.

With their alibis in place, they were free to spend the evening together, uninterrupted.

Overwhelmed. That's what she felt. Overwhelmed and nervous.

She gazed at her naked reflection in the mirror critically, holding her own stare. It had been quite some time since she'd prepared herself for _this_ kind of date and she felt a bit on edge. She knew the significance of that night… She knew what was coming.

Of course, the week leading up to their Friday date hadn't helped to soothe her jumpy nerves, though she suspected that was intentional on Jesse's part.

_Flashback_

"_Fantastic show people! We packed the house and you all brought it down! Have a great evening everyone and I'll see you all tomorrow!"Jesse announced to his slowly departing cast, watching as they made for their dressing rooms._

_He watched Rachel stride towards her dressing room as he fished his cell phone out of his pocket._

_She sighed in sweet relief as she clicked the door shut behind her. Tonight's performance seemed to take more out of her than it normally did and her feet were letting her know just how displeased they were about that._

_She'd gotten as far as stepping out of her shoes and pulling a couple of pins out of her hair when her phone buzzed from its spot on her dressing table. She picked it up as she pulled a few more pins, freeing several chocolate locks from the stiff updo they'd been pinned into earlier._

_She sank down on the couch and slid her thumb down, unlocking the phone._

_**Jesse: Have I told you how much I love that black dress?**_

_Rachel grinned as she tucked her legs underneath herself and tapped out her response._

_**Rachel: Only every night since we opened.**_

_**Jesse: Remind me to buy the costume department lunch. What's it going to take to convince you to wear that Friday night?**_

_**Rachel: Jesse, it's a little short to wear to dinner, don't you think?**_

_**Jesse: Who said anything about wearing it to dinner?**_

_His suggestive response sent a jolt of electricity through her veins. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes fluttered closed. He was teasing her… Torturing her… And all she wanted was more._

_End Flashback_

He'd suggested a small Italian eatery situated in the heart of Manhattan, a place he'd come to think of as his own over the years, a place he wanted to share with her.

She'd agreed and he'd promised to pick her up at 7 from her apartment, which meant she had approximately 11 minutes to finish dressing.

After gazing pensively at her reflection for a few additional moments, she turned and grabbed the garment bag hanging on the hook in her closet.

She stepped into the one shouldered dress and slid it into place, pulled the zipper shut and stepped into her cranberry colored heels. She ran a hand through her loosely curled locks and leaned forward to appraise her makeup in the mirror one last time before righting herself just as the doorbell rang.

Rachel closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled. She grabbed her purse and strode to the front door.

She opened the door and grinned at the man standing in front of her. He was wearing a dark gray suit with a black dress shirt and black shoes.

"My god you're a sight for sore eyes." He told her as he stepped into her personal space, one hand on her waist, the other at her elbow. He blatantly dragged his eyes down her small but toned frame and offered her a small smirk that very clearly said 'I like what I see.'

She rolled her eyes at his obvious come on but couldn't manage to keep the faint blush off her face.

"Crazy that I can still do that huh?" He asked cheekily, clearly referring to her conflicted reaction.

She offered him a small grin as she handed him her coat and turned her back to him.

"Be the gentleman I know you like to pretend you are and help me with my coat." She told him, not bothering to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Dinner was as mouthwatering as he'd promised. They'd been seated at a small corner table, close enough that her bare leg had brushed against his suit clad thigh more than once.

He moved them along to a small jazz club shortly after Rachel had declared dessert to be 'sinfully decadent' and he'd declared she would know exactly how 'sinfully decadent' he could be before the night was over.

That comment had earned him a raised eyebrow and a slight shiver down her spine that he'd only felt because he hadn't stopped touching her since the evening had begun.

Now, they were nestled into a small round booth at the back of the club, their table lit only by a small white candle housed in a worn red jar.

He ditched the formalities when they sat down. He'd pulled her flush to his side and tangled his hand with hers. She was sipping her second vodka cranberry and he was nursing his third beer. She was humming softly along with the music.

Jesse sent a cursory glance to his watch. It was nearing 10. The house would be empty by now, Justin had made plans to spend the evening with Olivia and her father. Really, he couldn't have planned it better if he'd tried. Though, mere thought of their children finding out their secret made his stomach turn.

He pushed that feeling down for the moment. That was not what this evening was supposed to be about. It was supposed to be about them and only them.

Rachel felt a light squeeze on her arm. She turned her gaze up to his and offered him a small smile.

"Ready to head out?" He whispered against her ear. She nodded her agreement and they quickly gathered their personal items and headed out into the brisk night.

She squeezed his bicep as they stepped to the curb so he could flag down a cab.

"You know, the subway would have been fine." She ventured as they settled into the back of the cab.

He rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Rachel. I think I can afford cab fare to Brooklyn." He chided, tugging a strand of her hair playfully.

"I still can't believe you live in Brooklyn." She shot back, obviously feeling playful now herself.

"Mock all you want, my house is spectacular." He replied dramatically.

Jesse sighed contentedly. This… This was the way he wanted to spend the rest of forever. Hell, he'd pay good money to spend the rest of forever just like this.

The ride to his brownstone was short. All too soon, he was tugging her out of the cab and up the steps of his home.

Her heart was pounding out an erratic pattern as she followed him into the darkened house.

He quickly flipped a switch and the room was bathed in a soft glow.

"Drink?" He suggested as he hung their coats on the rack by the door.

Feeling the need for a little liquid courage, she nodded her agreement and followed him to the small bar tucked into the corner of his often used living room.

Rachel slid into one of the two barstools and waited as he mixed her a vodka and cranberry.

She took a grateful sip and felt her body start to relax.

He joined her in the other seat, scotch and water in hand.

A couple of drinks in, she was starting to feel the heat coil in her stomach. She wished she could blame the liquor, but she had a sneaking suspicion it had more to do with the hand Jesse had resting on her upper thigh than anything else.

She felt that same hand brush a little higher up her thigh as he praised their opening night.

"Of course, we wouldn't have gotten those reviews without you." She complimented, not bothering to hide the teasing tone of her voice.

He squeezed her leg as he gave a chuckle. "C'mon. You're Rachel Berry. It didn't matter who directed you, it was going to be a hit." He returned, his voice quiet and humble.

"I still can't believe how far you've come… Where's my arrogant, self loving, fiercely competitive, ruthless ex-boyfriend!" She challenged as she downed the rest of her drink.

"He was an asshole." Jesse retorted with a small laugh as he took a pull off his drink, hi hand never leaving her thigh.

She chuckled at his admission.

"Yes, he was. Old Jesse… Old Jesse was a bit lost… A little mean… And very self absorbed." She assessed wisely and not inaccurately.

He swiped his thumb across the smooth skin of her upper thigh and set his glass down.

"And what about me? New Jesse? What are your thoughts on me now?" He questioned, his eyes flitting between her eyes and her lips.

"New Jesse… New Jesse is talented… Smart… A little wicked… Very confident… Incredibly sexy…" She trailed off, her eyes hooded and dark as she peered up at him.

That was all it took. She gripped the lapel of his jacket as his lips crushed hers. He tasted like Italian food and good liquor, it was a heady, intoxicating combination.

His fingers brushed up her arm before they tangled in her hair and pressed her closer to him. Moments later, he drew his tongue along the seam of her lip and she granted him access, their tongues now battling for dominance.

The hand that had been firmly planted on her leg was now gripping her hip as he attempted to pull her impossibly closer.

He finally broke their kiss when the need for oxygen became all too consuming. He grinned at the low whine she released when he'd pulled back. Wordlessly, he slid to his feet and pulled her along with him. This wasn't going to happen at his bar. At least, not the first time.

She followed him as he led her by the hand up to his bedroom.

His hand on the doorknob, he turned to her, met her gaze and whispered "Last chance to back out."

Rachel gazed into his eyes and shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm good."

With that, she gave him a little nudge and he pushed the door open.

She'd no sooner stepped into the room when he'd pressed her back against the door. His lips drank her in, tasted her, demanded more.

She wound her arms around his neck, desperate to press closer to him. His hands, which had found purchase on her slender hips, were now dancing up her sides, tracking higher with each passing moment. His fingers brushed the small pull of the zipper running up her left side.

He didn't hesitate as he grasped the small pull and began to slide it downwards, exposing creamy white skin along the way.

Her eyes closed as the slow torture continued. Her breath hitched as she felt his nimble fingers push the fabric from her body and felt it pool at her feet. All that was left was her strapless bra and the scrap of material doubling as her panties.

She felt herself blush crimson. It had been so very long since she'd done this, and just as long since she'd been this naked…

"You really know how to boost my ego." He whispered as he cracked a grin.

She opened her eyes and met his amused gaze. She rolled her eyes skyward.

"Ok Chuckles. I'm not going to be the only one in the buff here. Lose the shirt. And the pants too." She instructed, one hand on her panty covered hip.

He happily obliged, and quickly shucked his jacket. He toed off his shoes and socks as he yanked the dress shirt from his waist. His fingers flew down the buttons as she gazed at him, her need to see him growing.

She moved forward, stilling his hands as they moved to his pants.

"I think I can take care of this part."

She never broke eye contact as she slid h is belt free and tossed it to the floor, her small fingers returning to the button and zipper holding his pants in place.

He released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when he felt his pants hit the floor.

He stepped out of them and moved towards her. He smirked when she started backing up.

She felt the edge of the bed brush against the backs of her knees. That was it, the end of the road.

She tilted her face up to meet his gaze and found herself staring into a set of very dark, lust filled blue eyes.

His lips anchored themselves to hers as his hands gripped her to him, one hand slid into her hair while the other shamelessly cupped an ass cheek.

He pressed her back, urged her to lay back. She complied with his request and was rewarded with his heavy weight on top of her. She found that she liked it, that heavy, masculine body pressed against her softer, curvier female form.

Jesse felt the heat rolling off her in waves. She was a furnace when she was turned, a fact he'd never gotten to explore until recently. He flicked his tongue along the expanse of her collar bone while his fingers danced a pattern down her flat stomach.

Moments later, his mouth closed around one lace covered nipple and a small, satisfied moan escaped her. Without breaking their contact, he reached behind her and flicked the clasp on the bra, pulled it away and flung it to the floor.

"Much better." He muttered softly as he dragged his tongue across her small, pebbled nipple.

She panted out her approval as his lips started their descent downward. A kiss pressed to her hip, his tongue flicking the inside of her navel. All too soon, he'd reached his destination.

"Think it's about time for these to make their exit." He suggested as he hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties and swiftly pulled them down. They landed on the floor, near their haphazard pile of discarded clothing.

He ran his hands down the tops of her thighs to her knees, where he lightly applied pressure, indicating he wanted her to open up for him.

She complied and her knees fell open for him.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips before he turned his gaze back to the woman who was naked beneath him.

Jesse leaned forward, drawing himself back up her body for just a moment. His tongue darted out and licked the shell of her ear before he spoke.

"I'm going to taste you now. Hope that's ok with you." He whispered in her ear.

He didn't give her a chance to protest. Before she fully registered the weight of his words, he was gone, his head now firmly between her thighs.

The next thing Rachel felt was his warm breath on her core. That, followed by a single lick of his tongue up her slick folds. Rachel shuddered out her ecstasy and tangled her hands in his curly hair.

He gently sucked on her clit, swirling his tongue across the sensitive skin. He smirked when he heard the moan resound as she tightened her legs around him.

She arched into his mouth as she bit her lip. He was dangerously close to pushing her over the edge and all she could think about was how wonderful the fall would feel.

A single finger joined his talented mouth and that was all it took to change the composed woman beneath him into a quivering, moaning tangle of limbs.

All of a sudden, she felt impatient. Impatient and frustrated… And horny.

She wrapped a small hand around his bicep and pulled. She needed him inside her _yesterday._

He complied with her silent request and slid back up her body.

She sighed at the feeling of his hard body pressed against hers. He drew himself up and pulled back slightly, holding her gaze.

"That was fast."

He cocked an eyebrow at her and waited for her response.

She blushed and pinched her eyes shut.

"God, I know! I'm sorry, I just-" She started but he quickly cut her off.

"I'm just having a little fun with you Rach. Don't need to apologize." He assured as he pressed a couple of lazy kisses to her neck.

"It's been awhile… A really long while… Since this has happened. So I want to apologize in advance for-"

Again he cut her off.

"If you apologize one more time-"

This time, it was her turn to cut him off. "You'll what? Spank me?"

He grinned widely at her suggestion and laughed. "Something tells me you might enjoy that." He muttered as he shifted.

He rested a knee between her thighs and nudged them wider. She gave into his request.

The feel of him, heavy between her legs, had her lifting her hips upwards, hoping for contact.

He pressed a solid hand against her hip and pushed her body back onto the bed.

Once he was sure she was calmed, he situated himself and leaned over her, holding her eye contact.

Rachel felt the tip of his cock brush against her slick folds. She hissed out her need, it wasn't enough. She wanted to feel all of him.

He wrapped one arm around her slender hip and braced himself against the mattress with the other.

She gasped out her pleasure as she felt him slowly pushing into her. The hardness of his cock combined with her hot, slick wetness was a combustible combination.

Jesse groaned as she slid deeper, mentally committing this moment to memory. His grip on her hip tightened as he seated himself deep inside her.

"God Rach… You're killing me here. You're not even moving and your killing me." He gasped out hoarsely. He didn't do this nearly as often as he used to but prided himself on having full control over his body. Or at least, he used to. She was snatching away his control, bit by bit.

She offered him a small smirk before shifting her hips against his, grinding up into him.

He let loose a string of nonsensical words and stilled her movements with his hands.

"I would like for this to last longer than 2 minutes. I'm sure you would too. But unless you stop, I'm going to lose it like a pathetic sixteen year old boy." He hissed in her ear.

And for once in her life, Rachel listened.

It was only a few seconds, but it felt like an hour in her world. He started moving, shallow, slow thrusts… His mouth hot against her neck… His fingers pinching and plucking at her overly sensitive nipples…

She pushed against him in a silent request for him to thrust harder. And because he was Jesse St. James, he got the message.

He picked up the pace, pushing deeper and harder each time. Rachel moaned his name breathily when he found a particularly sensitive spot.

"God yes, Jesse…. Ooohhh… God…" She panted out, her small fingers digging into his bicep, urging him to go faster, harder.

He was sweating. Honest to God sweating. He'd never had to exercise this much self control in his life, but it was all he could do to keep from 'closing down' prematurely.

But she wasn't letting up. She rocked harder against him, her soft, breathy words of encouragement only sending bolts of excitement to his cock.

Jesse grabbed her left leg, bent it and tucked it in between the two of them, hoping a change in position would help him cool down.

Right up until she arched against him and buried her hands in his hair. "Fuck Jesse… God… That feels so good…" The words tumbled out in a soft voice, barely above a whisper.

"God damnit you feel good. Fuck. I'm close. I'm going to need you to come for me baby." He whispered in her ear.

Before she could say anything, he snaked a hand between the two of them and lightly circled and pinched her clit as he quickened his pace.

She was tumbling over the edge within four strokes, and he was only three behind her.

He collapsed onto the bed below them, his hand now securely tucked in hers.

For the first few minutes, all that could be heard were their pants, their attempts to regain control of their breathing.

Without a word, he quickly pulled back the covers on the massive bed and held them open for her.

"C'mon, we're both going to need more than 15 minutes of rest if we plan to do that again tonight." He told her, a wicked grin on his face.

She raised an eyebrow. "Again huh? Aren't we a little old for that?" She asked playfully.

He chuckled as she burrowed underneath the blanket.

"Why do you think I suggested sleeping first? I'm horny, not stupid."

A/N: So there you go. It's been FOREVER since I've done one of those, so I hope I did it justice.

Let me know what you think!


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